Chapter Fourteen
Poisoned Daffodils
It had been a long time since Jennifer had dared go anywhere near the Malfoy residence, but it couldn't be helped now. Dumbledore and Severus seemed lost in their own thoughts as the three of them walked up the drive. It was cold and damp and the fog was beginning to roll in but they could see the light of the open front door, and everal members of the Ministry of Law Enforcement were on either side of it. They nodded to them and stepped out of the way as they entered.
Sirius stood just inside the door, inspecting it with an odd contraption that looked a bit like three wands wired together.
"I wondered when you were coming. Danny and Moody have been here almost an hour," Sirius said.
"There were some details to see to at the school," Severus answered. "Malfoy is allowing you to look over his house security?"
"Not that he had any choice in the matter," Sirius said in a low voice. "Draco actually was the one that gave the go ahead. Lucius hasn't spoken in hours."
"Audacious?" Dumbledore asked.
"She didn't make it, actually. Aunt Tony decided to pick this morning to run an experiment that ended up blowing up her house. She and Anna are in Missouri helping out. They wrote it off as a gas furnace explosion to the locals," Sirius sighed.
"This time of year seems to breed misfortune, doesn't it?" Jennifer said.
"I'd think someone like Tony would have enough sense to put wards up for that," Severus snorted.
"Well, they're not required to in the States so sometimes folks get lazy, and she is getting on in years. In fact, she's getting a bit eccentric," Sirius admitted. "But they'll survive. I'm not so sure about this household. Moody's in there trying to get Lucius to talk but nobody's been able to get a comprehensive word out of him."
"Perhaps we can try to persuade him," Dumbledore said, ignoring the dubious look that Sirius gave him in return as they stepped further inside.
The voice of Alastor Moody could be heard coming from the room on the right, while on the stairs sat Taylor, Doug, and Corey, all gazing intently at Danny and speaking to each other in low voices. Standing outside the room was Arthur Weasley, who greeted them with a thin smile before showing them in.
As Jennifer turned her gaze to the man sitting before them, she felt a cold chill down her back. For as much hatred as Lucius Malfoy had shown her over the years, never had she seen him like this.
There was no remorse in his eyes. To have felt such would have been showing a weakness, and that was absolutely unacceptable. Instead there was only burning rage… any other emotions that might have existed other than that had been used to fuel the growing fire that darkened his stone-like face with images so horrible that Jennifer couldn't help but shudder.
He sat alone as if no one either dared to come near or cared to come near. Either way he did not seem focused, paying little attention to the frustrated Auror standing over him.
"Listen, to me, Lucius. At this point in time, I don't really give a damn how you got it. If you don't at least tell me where the ring came from, how do you expect me to catch the bastard who did this?" Alastor demanded, refusing to let Malfoy ignore him.
"I have enough sense than to expect anything out of a broken down Auror who should have retired years ago. I will deal with this myself," Lucius swore in a fervent voice. "No one touches a Malfoy and gets away with it. No one." He suddenly got to his feet, looking around the room as if for the first time. "What are these Snapes doing in my house? How dare you come here now! Weasley, if you don't have them removed from my sight at once, I shall!"
"Try it," Jennifer challenged, receiving a very harsh glance from Dumbledore in response.
"I am here for one purpose only, Lucius, and that's to see Draco, not you. I'm not about to leave this residence until I do," Severus told him defiantly. "Of course, I also have no reservations about sending you to hell that much sooner if necessary…"
"Severus," Dumbledore said with a frown.
"Draco and his family are in the dining room," Arthur suggested quickly, showing Severus the way. Lucius' eyes didn't leave Severus until he was out of sight, but he didn't try to stop him either.
"You know, Lucius, it would do well to cooperate with Arthur and Alastor in this matter. I do believe they are sincere about overlooking how you got the ring if there is some reason you are reluctant to speak of it," Dumbledore said gently.
"Oh you believe that, do you?" Lucius said, the acidic mocking tone of his voice unmistakable, his eyes focused in on him as if looking at an erring servant he didn't care much for. "And what makes you think that I would take your word as anything but foolish dribble from an aging wizard who spends too much time meddling in other people's business when he should be minding his trivial paper pushing job!"
"Lucius, despite your attempts at ousting me, trying to harm or kill members of my staff, proclaiming loyalties that betrayed you in the end, and your poor sense of judgment, I have been nothing but straight forward with my opinions as far as you are concerned. Now is no exception. We are not here to harass you, accuse you, or whatever other reason you've come up with in your mind to explain why we're here. We are here merely to find out as much as we can to see that the person responsible for Narcissa's death is brought to justice," Dumbledore said calmly.
"If you're looking for someone responsible, you don't have to look far," Lucius said, shaking slightly in attempt to keep his anger at bay. "And if you expect me to leave my wife's murder in the incompetent hands of the current Ministry, think again. I will find the killer myself, and I pity anyone, even a Snape, who dares get in my way," he swore, glaring at Jennifer before turning and walking out of the room.
"You know, coming from anyone else, I might have been offended by his remarks," Alastor mused out loud.
Jennifer glanced over at Dumbledore to find that he was looking at her with the same concerned expression. Before either of them could put their thoughts into words, Sirius Black came in from the dining room with Arthur and Thurspire while Draco and Severus walked more slowly behind them, talking quietly.
"I have checked everything, every nasty curse and trap he has from the attic to the basement for intruders," Sirius said, looking between Arthur and Dumbledore. "Not one was triggered in any way."
"Well, it wasn't an inside job, if that's what you're implying," Draco said defensively.
"Now, Draco, no one believes that. And it isn't as if this was the first time something like this has happened here, has it?" Dumbledore pointed out. "I seem to recall an incident ten years ago when a certain book went missing."
"At least we can rule out birds this time, but I wouldn't necessarily rule out other magical creatures. For example, how many House Elves does this mansion have on staff at the moment, Mr. Malfoy?" Thurspire asked. Draco stared at him.
"You can't honestly mean to imply that a House Elf might have killed my mother?" Draco said. "That's the most mad idea I think you've ever come up with!"
"Well, it's no secret they have motive after how they've been treated by this family for hundreds of years, and the Elves can slip by magical wards without incident. Has anything happened recently that might have provoked them?" Thurspire asked.
"House Elves are bound by magic to serve, as you well know, and even if they weren't, you are an even bigger fool than I thought you were if you don't think that my mother couldn't have handled a simple creature like that!" Draco snarled.
"I apologize, Draco, but I do think that Investigator Thurspire is just trying to weigh all the possibilities, however unlikely," Arthur said in a calm but firm voice, giving Thurspire a look of warning.
"You should just be glad my father didn't hear it," Draco said. "Where is he, anyhow?"
"He has chosen not to cooperate," Dumbledore said simply.
"Did you expect otherwise?" Draco snorted. "With his worst enemies standing before him like vultures hovering over a wounded dragon?"
"I always expect the best out of everyone. It is perhaps a failing of mine," Dumbledore mused. "But now I find myself wondering what you have chosen to do, Draco."
"Thurspire, Weasley, I'm sure there are other things you can be doing right now," Draco said in such a tone that Jennifer couldn't help but be a bit wide-eyed. But the Minister of Magic seemed to take it in stride, nodding with a smile and putting a hand on Thurspire's shoulder to keep him from saying something that would feed the tension.
"As a matter of fact, I think I'll have a few words with the upstairs maid. Come along, Ederick," Arthur said, nodding to Dumbledore on his way into the front hall.
"I suppose I should go keep an eye on him," Alastor grunted reluctantly, exchanging a glance with Dumbledore before leaving. Draco's eyes followed them out then fell on Sirius.
"I'll be in the next room with Parvati if you need me," Sirius said to Dumbledore, heading back in the door he had come out of.
"Something on your mind, Draco?" Dumbledore asked calmly.
"Let's be frank, shall we? My father sees the Ministry as nothing but a pyramid of incompetence and I have never seen anything come out of the Ministry to force me to believe any different. But I'm not about to stand by and do nothing, and despite what my father might believe, I think keeping the information we have does more harm than good. The ring came from the Craw auction, the one that took place not long after they fled," Draco said looking at Jennifer, who stared back at him in complete surprise.
"How can that be?" Jennifer said. "First Sirius, now this? How did Sirius have the diamond cufflinks again?"
"Nineteenth birthday present from James and Lily," Severus grunted.
"Interesting, those two events happened in the same year, didn't they?" Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "The year Harry was born."
"Please let's not drag him into this," Severus said wearily.
"Not everything in the universe is tied to Potter," Draco said with a look of complete distaste on his face.
"You were born that year too, Draco, and I believe Severus has his own reasons to remember certain events from that time," Dumbledore said, watching the frown on Severus' face deepen. "So many things happened that year, some terrible, some hopeful… it was a time full of change. I do not believe it is a coincidence that these diamonds had been in the hands of the Craws and the Potters before then. In fact, I would be quite surprised if it was. I have a feeling we will find that all of these diamonds had been in similar hands… old magic families, who in some way or another lost track of them."
"Perhaps it's time to pay a visit to your father, Jennifer. We may finally have found the information we need to track down who's responsible for this," Severus suggested.
"I will need to pass what we have discovered to Alastor Moody, Draco. After all, he is truly the one leading this investigation, we are merely concerned third parties," Dumbledore said.
"Moody? Not the famous Harry Potter?" Draco asked with interest.
"His involvement has been somewhat exaggerated by some, although he is involved," Dumbledore admitted.
"Very well, tell Moody then. But I want results, and if that means becoming personally involved, I will," Draco replied.
"You can best help by keeping an eye on your father," Dumbledore suggested.
"I will keep an eye on him, but I won't stop him if he finds what he's looking for," Draco said grimly. "As it is, he would probably try disinheriting me again if he knew I offered you any information at all. Not that I haven't already taken the precaution of funneling most of my money in non-family related businesses, but he is my father after all."
"Yes, of course," Dumbledore said thoughtfully.
"Good, we understand each other then," Draco nodded crisply, heading towards the door. Severus followed close behind, and as Jennifer stepped over to Dumbledore, she couldn't help but hear Draco when he asked, "So, what other cases has he had where his involvement has been exaggerated?"
"Are you sure it's wise to trust him?" Jennifer asked Dumbledore when they were well out of the room.
"It is sometimes hard to trust someone who doesn't even trust themselves. But then, I've always trusted you, haven't I?" Dumbledore said with a slight smile. Jennifer knew better than to argue.
Sea and spells had always kept the prison of Azkaban isolated from the rest of the world. It was set on a grey, rocky uncharted island, standing like a lonely forgotten sentinel surrounded by its foes. Perhaps then it was a tad surprising that word of the outside world always traveled quickly there, and Severus and Jennifer found a special visitation order waiting for them when they arrived the next day.
It didn't take them long to get through security, but that was hardly surprising. For the last thirteen years they had been constant visitors there, usually on behalf of Jennifer's father, Thomas Craw. Not that they were the man's only supporters. He was a murderer… he himself did not dispute that… but his one-man crusade against the Death Eaters had become next to legendary, even revered by some as an act of heroism. Perhaps there was some truth to the fact that he at least was attempting to do something about the problem when most wouldn't dare, but Jennifer knew that Thomas' motives had been much more personal than that; vengeance for her mother's murder.
But before that tragedy had occurred, before they had fled or before he even considered becoming a Death Eater those many years ago, Thomas Craw had been an aggressive businessman. Perhaps not a good businessman, but a businessman nonetheless, and it was that memory of standing in front of her father's desk as a very young child that came to Jennifer as they stepped into the visitor's room.
It was obvious that he had been waiting there for some time, for several bulky scrolls were stacked upon the table that separated them and he was perusing one with the dark rimmed spectacles that Dumbledore had given him last Christmas. He nodded to them briskly as they came in before returning to what he was reading.
"This couldn't possibly be office work?" Jennifer said in a teasing tone as they stepped to the table.
"I only have a year before my tenth anniversary at level two security, and I intend to make the most of it. These are law enforcement and parole board bylaws. I intend to spend all my spare time going over them. So far it appears my main task to achieve parole is merely to prove to them I'm no longer a danger to the public," Thomas said. Jennifer and Severus exchanged dubious expressions. "By the way, you're late. You should have come last night. I even broke out the anise wine you gave me for Christmas last year, Severus."
"Wouldn't today have been more appropriate anyhow?" Jennifer inquired. Thomas stared at her for the moment.
"Oh, the birthday thing. I doubt Severus needs to be reminded how old he is by me," Thomas said.
"As if you don't remind me every visit," Severus scowled at him.
"I was celebrating Malfoy's loss, of course!"
"Dad!"
"Well he took my wife, indirectly or not. Is it not a fitting irony that someone would take his?" Thomas said with a thin smile. "I should have done that myself before I turned myself in."
"I refuse to believe that you would do anything of the sort," Jennifer said hotly, knowing that he would have the moment that she said it. "Malfoy got his due for what he did. I avenged mother already."
"You got your vengeance, I didn't get mine," Thomas said calmly.
"Yes, but you shouldn't hurt innocent lives in the process."
"Narcissa was a Death Eater," Thomas said impatiently. "She was no more innocent than he was. Ask your husband if you don't believe me."
"Thomas, I don't think –"
"And what about Draco and Danny? You don't think they were affected too?" Jennifer said angrily, while Severus became quite annoyed at being cut off.
"My dear, Draco and Danny are adults and can take care of themselves," Thomas said, waving the suggestion away.
"But that doesn't mean they weren't- "
"Would you two please try to entertain a bit of self control?" Severus said in a tone that made both Thomas and Jennifer look over at him in surprise. "I did not come here to watch the two of you bicker and we only have an hour lunch, so let's curb the Craw urge to have the last word in any argument and get to the matter at hand, shall we?"
"Oh, very well, if you insist," Thomas said, taking on an almost bored, humoring air. Jennifer frowned at her father disapprovingly. "What was it that you needed to see me about?"
"Narcissa was killed because she had acquired a diamond ring from the Craw auction which looked something like this," Severus said, pulling out a delicate white gold ring with a single claw setting, with one of the diamonds set in it like a tiny crystal ball, while six smaller diamonds, three on each side, were inset around the band itself. "We made this replica based on Draco's description. Do you recognize it?" Thomas looked thoughtfully at it for a moment, his eyes staring at it sightlessly as he became lost in memory.
"Yes, I remember a ring like this. It was your mother's, Jen-girl. One of her friends gave it to her at her bridal shower a couple of days before we got married. I wonder how Audi missed it? Ah, well, it was a miracle she was able to save as much as she did," Thomas mused.
"But who gave it to her?" Jennifer insisted.
"I don't know. I wasn't likely to be at the bridal shower, was I? I was at a rather important business meeting at that point. A meeting which I will regret forever for what it turned into."
"One which you attempted to force my own father into attending, then and at the wedding," Severus said.
"Your memory seems to be better than mine," Thomas said bitterly. "Amazing what a person will do to convince themselves that something is for the right cause even when it is the wrong one. Voldemort was one of the most persuasive men that ever lived, and Malfoy one of the most manipulative. I've paid my dues and more for the short time I was a Death Eater. But then, if I had chosen your father's path, Severus, I might have ended up dead too," Thomas mused, rolling up the scroll absently before glancing at his daughter and shaking his head. "I had my own problems to worry about back then, but I do have some idea who was at that shower. It was a small, rather exclusive group…some of the most prominent and richest wizard families attended. Your stepmother was there, of course, Severus, and her aunts, Tony and Viviane Dannon, I believe," he said, musing over the surprised look Jennifer and Severus passed. "Black. Lestrange. Karlie Dipple, old Marge Figg, Prunisma Nelson, Audi Belle. Nancy Witolf. That was about it. Not much questionable blood among them either, except Meryl and your mother. Not that your mother's heritage didn't have its own weight of course."
"Weight?"
"The fact that she was descended from Ravenclaw. Since her wizard-blood had come from such prestigious roots, her Muggle heritage was overlooked… at least as far as some were concerned."
"What a convenient exception, considering Voldemort's own heritage," Jennifer said dryly.
"Of course, even that was questioned after a while. That was when he suggested…" Thomas paused and rubbed his head.
"The Purge, for those who wanted to denounce their mixed heritage and become pure," Severus finished grimly.
"Well, the hour is getting on, and I've work to do, and so do you. As if school wasn't enough, you have to get into this murder investigation again," Thomas grunted, picking up his scrolls and knocking for the guard. "I don't suppose Lucius couldn't accidentally find some diamonds and then you could wait until after he's disposed of before you find them?" he suggested hopefully.
"Goodbye, Dad," Jennifer said with exasperation, waving a greeting to Boltin when he appeared in the doorway with a smile.
"You'll regret not taking my advice, Jen-girl," Thomas said calmly, pausing by the door. "Curse or no curse, there is no one more dangerous than Lucius Malfoy at this moment, not even this mysterious murderer of yours. A man in his present state with his power values nothing, not even his own life… only his hatred and quest for revenge. I suggest you stay away from him if you're not going to kill him." Boltin frowned at him slightly but didn't say a word as Thomas stepped out. Boltin signaled to Jennifer and Severus that he'd try to talk to them on the next visit.
"I hope Dad doesn't plan on me standing up for him at his parole. No danger to the public? Not a chance. He'll be in there until he's as old as Dumbledore," Jennifer said, shaking her head. "He'd kill Malfoy in a heartbeat if he got out."
"Well, he didn't kill him before when he had a chance," Severus reminded her.
"Only because I was there," Jennifer sighed.
"Yes," Severus agreed.
"And now we've wasted our entire lunch hour and we found out absolutely nothing. Good thing I have tests to give out next class." Severus peered at his wife quizzically.
"Actually, we learned a bit more than I had expected. He gave information that supports Dumbledore's theory to whom they were originally given to; the prominent magical families of the time. And we know that the person the message was for was either a woman or had a woman accomplice," Severus said, nodding to the guards as they passed.
"You don't think Viviane is behind all of this, do you?" Jennifer said in a low voice after they passed the guard post. Severus thought about that for a moment.
"Possibly, but I think unlikely. Viviane is not the type to be moved by the deaths of her pawns, so the murderer would have had nothing to gain by their deaths. Although I'm not sure how long she will be staying out of it if what I suspect is true," he said quietly as they reached the entryway.
"What are you talking about?"
"I am not sure that the murderer is human. In fact, I believe the murderer probably has no more human blood in them than Merlin himself does," Severus explained, Disapparating.
"I hate it when he leaves me hanging like that!" Jennifer said out loud in frustration, Disapparating after him.